Game table



T. NAGAI GAME TABLE Aug. 30, 1932.

Filed Aug. 25, 1930 ggg/lill INVENTOR.

v ATTORNEYS.

les

Patented Aug. 30, 1932 {PATENT OFFICE TRAZO NAGrAI, OF LOS ANGELES,CALIFGRNIA GAME TABLE Application led August.25, 1930.v Serial.ll'o.4 477,673. f.

' (My invention relates to `and hasfor a purpose the provision of a lgame table similar in certain respects to a billiard table, in that it provides a surface lover Which a ball isadaptr ed to be projected by vmeans of a cue or similar instrument, but Which is provided with a playing surface having hazards of various forms so arranged as "to dene a tortuous course on which the ball is adapted tobe pro- ;10 jecte'd,.thez hazards necessitating the exercise of great skill in vorder to traverse the course. in aminiinum number oflstrokes..

hItis also a purpose. of my invention to provide laf gaine table vwhich is. particularly. de-

f 15 signed7 although notfnecessarilyytor use Youtdoors and Where uneven surta-cesy arey encountered for supporting the .table,..and which tableis provi/'ded with independently vadjustable legs to compensate for ground irregulari- '20 ties to the end of supporting the .table perfectly leveland hence rtheplaying.surface of the `table, and .spiritlevels for determining When the table is level.. n

l will describeonlyone formof gametable '25 embodying my inventiomand Willv then point out the-novel features thereof in claims.

` In the accompanying drawing: n

Figure l is a View showing in top. plan one Vform 'ot .game tableembodying my invention.

g A `Figurejffis-acentra-l Verticallongitudinal sectional View of thetableshotvn inFignre l. Figure 3V i-s an enlarged rfraginentary plan -VieW of they table showing one: oit .the yspirit p levels. v Y Y Figure l 4is a vertical longitudinal sectional View taken Yon the line ol Figure 3.

Figure 5 isA 'an' en-l-arged'ffraginentary vertical -sectional View' k-ot vene ofl the legs of :the

can table shown in Figure 2.

vIn :carrying out my invention, lf" provide a tableconsisting of a top designated general` ly at'T, andfplurality of legseach designated L, the'table top inthe present instance be Aing. 'of rectangular form in outline, and the rail 28 spanning the space between the conleg'sf .being secured to the table top adjacent the'four vcorners thereof.

'Tlie top `"l may be constructed of-any suitable material to withstand the elements and yetr provide a playing surface over Which l 'theV ball can readily roll incident to playing of thel game. "The table top may be constructed ofV Wood, metal, concrete, or the like, with itsy playing surfaceinislied smooth or covered vWith telt tov attain the ready and accurate 55 rolling of the ball, as Will be understood.

` As lshown in Figures l and Q, the table top provides a playing surface l2 bounded at its edges' by a ra-illl of sufficient height to pre .vent the accidental projection of the playing ballfromthe surface. This rail 1l maybe .constructed integral With the table top or' it may be attached thereto depending upon the material of which the' table top islormed. The numeralfS designates the starting point of a playing course `defined on the playing surface 12 by the medium .of a plurality of rails of various forms and arranged invarious positions in order to' necessitate the exercise of great 'skill in the projection of a ball from the starting point 8 to thevlini'sh point 7. .Thisllinish point "7 is delined by acup in the playing surface and in'Which ythe playing ball is adaptedv to be received. Theprecise form and arrangement ofthe sev-eral --railsfwill new be described, although it will be understoodtha-t the invention is not limited to the-precise form and arrangement illustrated in 'the'drawing .TWo Lshaped rails laextend inwardlyv iromoneend .rail 11 of the ltable top, and atopposite 'sides of theistarting point 8. Spaeed` fro-mthe-rails l5 'and from each other are apainozt arcuate .rail-s 1.6,. wWith a rela-tively short ,andlineaa' fronting endsof the 'rlaill so `that such space is fonlyaccessible. by causing the playing to roll around either end of themail 23. Beyond the rail 16 are a second pair of rails 13 .having `arcuate portions spaced from each 90 13 more diiiicult should the playing ball passV f between the rails 15 and 16 instead of between the rails 16. f f

Beyond the rails 13 and between the arcu- V ate portions thereof is a V-shaped rail 26 which forms an obstruction to the passage of f thepla'ying ball through a passage defined by .the rails. v Y' For rendering the playing course more clifthe parallel portions of a pair of L-shaped rails 14. f. A relatively short and linear rail 17 is interposed between the rails Y14 .in order to separate the passage therebetween into two passages. Beyond the rails 14 and 17V isa U-shaped rail 18 the parallel portions of which extend in the direction away from the rails 14j, and so as to coactwith the parallel portions of a pair of L-shapedrails 19 to definea pair of U-shaped passages for the playing ball.' 'The parallel portions of the rails 19 define a passage which isdivided at the exit end vinto'two, passages bymeans of a substantially semi-circular vrail v21 the center of whichs' defined bythe cup 7 Diagonal and linear rails 20 extend from the'adjacent 'corners of the table to form obstructions for the passage of the playing ball around the Vcurved Vrail 2l, whilea short andk linear rail 22 is interposed between the ends of the rail 21 to render more difficult the passage of the playing ball to the cup 7. f v `'From the preceding descriptiomit will be manifest that thefcourse defined on therplayl surface by means ofthe several'rails isr of an extremely tortuous nature and hence difficultl of execution in a minimum number of strokes in order tov finally deposit the ball inkv the cup 7, fWhe're a rubber .orother form of resilient playingball is employed, the lseveral rails do not requirey any .cushioning means fori causing the .ball'to rebound* fromY the rails, and in practice it is p-roposedfthat the playing ball be of a resilient material in order toVr` readily rebound when impinged against Ahculty ofexecu'tiom certain ofthe rails, name',- ly, rails j16, 2 3, 13, ,24, 14, 1 8, 19, and 21 are provided with recesses inv which strips 5;. of

" soft sponge rubber orilike material are receive'd and secured. rIt willbe understood ythat .when the playing ball impinges against these' strips they will serveito dampen the rebound and thus shorten the distance ofproljection of the ball. Further hazards are provided by forming-the'playing surface 12 of the table at variousp'oints with recesses in v which sheets 6 of sponge rubber or the like are fitted, it-being understoodthat the sponge rubber serves tov vimpede movement of the playing 'ball to present further difficulties in the execution of the course in a minimum number of strokes. v y y As hereinbefore stated, my invention is particularly adapted for'outdoor use, and hence provision'is made for supporting the table top in truly horizontal position on Vuneven ground in order thatthe'playing surface 12 may be disposed horizontally as that of the playing surface of a billiard table. This means, in the present instance, comprises the legs L which are constructed so as to beadjustable as to length 'and independentlyof each other. Each leg is made' up of any upper section 9 secured to the under side of the table top T, a-tubular section 4 secured to the lower end ofthe upper section 9, and alower section 3. The lower section 3 is eX- teriorly threaded and the section 4 is interiorly threaded to'receive the lower section and in such manner as to permit adjustment of the lower section lengthwise therein'and to therebyy increase or decrease the over all length of the leg.`

` lItwillbeevident the legs L thatthey may be varied as 'to length and in such manner asto compensate forfir regularities inthe ground upon which the table top is supported, so that thelattercanzbe supported' ini a truly horizontal position.` For the purpose of visibly Vdetermining when the tabletop assumes a horizontal posi-V from the construction yof) tion, as a result'of adjustment ofthe legs L, f

`"scribed only one form of game table embodying my ifnvention, it isto be understoodthat various changes and modifications may be made 'therein' without V departing from i the spirit of`7'theY invention and the spirit" and scope f the appended claims.:` Y

12A game" tableihaving a top forming'v av v playingsurface over which aball'is adapted to be projected and -providedwith a ball receiving cup, and a plurality of elements proj ecting upwardly from said surface and relatively arranged thereon to define a tortuous coursefor thefb'all `whichleads to said cup,

lsaid playingl surface havinggrecesses therein and roughened` and yieldable material in said recesses for impeding Amovement of the'ball across the recesses. x

. 2. A game Vtable having a top` forming a vplaying surface over which ya ball is adapted to bev projected and provided with a ball receiving cup, and a pluralityjofjelementsproj ectingupwardly from" said surfaceand relatively arranged thereon to define a tortuousV 'iso Course for the ball which leads to said cup, said playing surface having inserts of yieldable material and said elements having in their sides inserts of yieldable material.

3. A game table having a top forming a playing surface over which a ball is adapted to be projected and provided With a ball receiving cup7 and a plurality of elements pr0- j eeting upwardly from said surface and relatively arranged thereon to define a tortuous course for the ball whichk leads to said cup, said playing surface having inserts of sponge rubber and said elements having in their sides inserts of sponge rubber.

TORAZO NAGAI. 

